How to remove any smell from laundry (even if you forgot it in the machine for two days)

You ran a load of washing. Then you forgot about it. Two days later, you open the machine and a sour, mildewy smell hits your face. You wash it again. The smell remains. Don’t throw the clothes away. That stink comes from bacteria and mould that ordinary detergent can’t kill. Here’s the fix.

The one‑wash rescue method

Rewash the smelly load with white vinegar instead of fabric softener. Pour one cup of white vinegar (the cheap cooking kind, $2 from Coles) into the softener dispenser or directly into the drum. Wash on the hottest setting the fabric can handle (40°C for delicates, 60°C for towels and sheets). Vinegar kills bacteria and neutralises alkaline odours. It also removes detergent residue that traps stink.

If that doesn’t work: baking soda plus vinegar

Run a second cycle. Add half a cup of baking soda to the drum with your regular detergent. Put one cup of vinegar in the softener slot. The combination fizzes inside the machine, deep‑cleaning fibres. This works for sweat‑stained gym clothes, musty towels, and even smoke smells.